Rich Homemade Egg Nog: Key Temps

Eggnog with cinnamon in glass close up with Christmas decor – homemade traditional festive drink for Christmas time

Rich, flavorful egg nog is definitely a holiday favorite; and if you haven’t ever tried making your own, you’re in for a treat—you won’t go back to store bought again. The ingredient that gives egg nog its signature rich, silky texture is, well…eggs! There are many egg nog recipes that simply use raw eggs in them, but the use of raw eggs carries with it a risk of salmonella. According to foodsafety.gov, custards (a cooked mixture of eggs and dairy) and other dishes containing eggs must be cooked to 160-170ºF (71-77ºC) to be considered safe to eat. The Thermapen® and ThermoPop® are ideal for testing the temperature of your custards.

The Role of Eggs in Custards:

1. The protein in eggs coagulates and solidifies once they reach about 140-145ºF (60-63ºC), providing structure.

Crème Anglaise Method: This process of making a stirred custard with milk, eggs, and sugar is essentially the method for making crème anglaise, or classic vanilla custard sauce. The tricky thing about making a stirred custard is its susceptibility to curdling. If you get the mixture too hot, your beautiful custard sauce will resemble runny scrambled eggs. Not very appetizing.

Here’s what to do…

1. Use a Double Boiler: In this recipe by Jean at Delightful Repast, the custard is made in a double boiler. This is a vey gentle method of cooking, and helps to keep the mixture from curdling. It’s important to constantly stir the custard to keep the proteins in motion as they rise in temperature between 140-170ºF (60-77ºC) and begin to coagulate. This gentle coagulation will thicken the sauce, but if it isn’t kept in motion the protein can take on a grainy texture, so keep stirring!

2. Use Your Thermometer: As custards are prone to bacterial growth, it’s critical that they move quickly through the temperature danger zone of 40-140ºF (4-60ºC), so the hot milk you add needs to be simmered. Remember, accurate temperature control when cooking with eggs is important for food safety and the proper structure of the recipe they are used in. Keep your Thermapen or ThermoPop handy and occasionally spot check the custard as the temperature rises (then back to stirring). When you reach 160ºF (71ºC), it’s time to cool it down. The addition of cold milk after cooking will hasten the cooling process.

Step 1. At least 8 or up to 24 hours before serving time: In bottom pan of double boiler, heat an inch of water to a gentle simmer. In top pan of double boiler, whisk together egg yolks, sugar and salt until well blended.Step 2. Gradually whisk in hot milk and cook over hot but not boiling water, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to thicken and registers between 160-170ºF (71-77ºC); do not boil.Step 3. Stir in cold milk. Strain custard into a 2-quart bowl (I use a 2-quart glass measure); stir in brandy or rum, vanilla and nutmeg. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 8 hours.Step 4. To serve: Whip cream until soft peaks form. With wire whisk, gently fold whipped cream into custard. Pour eggnog into chilled 2- or 2 1/2-quart punch bowl or pitcher; sprinkle with nutmeg.

Comments

Kim!! Thank you for sharing this recipe with all of us !! But as I’m a relative newbie to homemade eggnog, could you please specify what the temps are for the “hot” and “cold” milk? Especially the hot milk, as I feel that too cool or too hot milk would be disastrous to the final product. Thanks for your time and appreciate the help!!

Kim!! Thank you for sharing this recipe with all of us !! But as I’m a relative newbie to homemade eggnog, could you please specify what the temps are for the “hot” and “cold” milk? Especially the hot milk, as I feel that too cool or too hot milk would be disastrous to the final product. Thanks for your time and appreciate the help!!

This recipe is from one of our affiliates and I can’t speak for her; but I’m glad to give you my recommendations with the recipe. The cold milk can be used directly from the refrigerator, and the portion of milk that is whisked into the eggs and sugar over the double boiler could be added hot or cold. If added cold it will just take longer to cook. I wouldn’t add the hot milk terribly hot, though–probably just around 110ºF. Let me know if you have any further questions.

Lishka913, I just heat the milk until tiny bubbles barely start to form around the edge of the pan. Using the hot (but not boiled) milk greatly speeds up the cooking when using a double boiler. And adding the refrigerator-cold milk stops the cooking and gets the cooling off to a fast start. I hope you’ll make it soon and let me know how it turns out for you!

Kim and Jean, finally got to making the eggnog!!! It was a success with one of my tasters, the other thought it was just milk with nutmeg (possibly ’cause she’s used to the commercial stuff?) But my other taster was happy with that ’cause it meant more for him!!! I myself was only able to try a small sample (before work!), and I liked it alot. I think I heated the milk to much before adding the egg portion, as it never really “thickened up” despite getting it slowly up to the target temp. But on the plus side I didn’t have scrambled eggs in milk either!!! So another try to get it right and I’ve got my taster handy and this time he’ll have to share with me!!! Wish me good luck!!!